Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) announced that it has developed an expandable LNG-fuel tank for ships that can store up to five times more LNG than earlier designs.
According to Nikkei Asian Review, the adjustable box-shaped tank can carry between 2,000 and 10,000 cubic meters of LNG and has dividers inside to reduce sloshing and dividers inside the tank boost resistance to turbulence
Currently, the tanks used on LNG-fueled ships are barrel-shaped and are capable of storing less than 2,000 cubic meters.
The Japanese company will spend a year commercializing the product, with the aim of supplying containerships or car-carrying ships used in long-distance shipping.
The company is expecting demand for the tanks as SOx emission regulations become increasingly stringent.
